[Manchester CC]:
P was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The case involved a large-scale conspiracy involving organised crime groups based in the Greater Manchester and Birmingham areas.
[St Albans CC]:
J was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs for his role in a national drugs conspiracy. J was alleged to be a wholesaler in the Sheffield area using drugs sourced from Luton.
[Birmingham CC]:
H was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs as part of a large national operation involving Class A and Class B drugs.
[Wolverhampton CC]:
A and M were charged with the cultivation of Class B drugs in over 40 residential properties let by landlords through the defendants’ estate agency. The case also involved the use of industrial units as a cannabis factory with an estimated yield of £6 million.
[Middlesborough CC]:
R was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in the North East of England. One of the defendants became a key prosecution witness after he turned supergrass to give evidence in several trials over a two-year period. The supergrass had been responsible for delivering drugs to R’s house, which were later recovered by police.
[Birmingham CC]:
Our client was charged with offences relating to the large-scale importation of cannabis into the UK from Jamaica by air freight. It was alleged that the drugs were hidden in cans of vegetables. These shipments were intercepted at Birmingham Airport when over 400 kilograms of cannabis were seized.
[Liverpool CC]:
Our client was alleged to be involved in the attempted importation of 22 kilograms of cocaine from Columbia into Heathrow Airport, using a commercial flight. Couriers were used to carry the drugs. One of the defendants was a Security Manager at the airport. On the day the flight landed, the Security Manager was seen to enter toilets in the terminal followed by a courier carrying two heavy holdalls. The courier emerged empty handed. The Security Manager came out moments later carrying the holdalls, which he took to a vehicle parked nearby. The Security Manager, the courier and multiple others were arrested as a result of the surveillance and related telecommunications data.
[Birmingham CC]:
Our client was arrested driving a fake ambulance from Holland to the UK. When the NCA searched the vehicle, Class A drugs packaged in colour coded parcels were found hidden behind false panels. Over 250 kilograms of heroin, cocaine, and MDNA were recovered. Further investigation revealed that our client was part of an OCG which made 41 trips into the UK. Our client was the driver on many of these journeys. Members of the gang wore bogus paramedic uniforms and even carried fake patients. It was estimated that a total of over 2 tons of Class A drugs worth as much as £1.6b were imported. NCA sources were reported to believe that 20 different gangs around the UK relied on the ambulance operation for supplies of Class A drugs.
[Chester CC]:
Our client is charged with possession with intent to supply approximately 7 kilograms of cannabis and with converting criminal property worth in the region of £1million. Our client’s defence includes the alleged use of force by others to compel him to conduct activities against his will. Concerns that our client was a victim of modern slavery resulted in us making a referral to the Single Competent Authority for a decision on this issue.
[Swansea CC]:
The charges of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs followed an investigation of a Swansea-based OCG. During the trial, we were able to agree a favourable role for our client within the conspiracy. This had not been offered before the trial started.
[Wolverhampton CC]:
Our client is charged with aggravated burglary. The case involves the activities of an amorphous OCG allegedly formed with a settled intent to disrupt the activities of various ‘cannabis factories’ where the drug was being cultivated. The prosecution says this objective was to be achieved by breaking into premises and stealing the cannabis that was being grown. It is alleged that perpetrators were armed with weapons including crow bars, machetes and sledgehammers amongst other things.
Importation of cocaine from Columbia to France – computer intercepts from Yahoo were used to establish transportation routes and the FBI was involved.
Importation of cocaine from Ecuador to UK. Columbian intercepts were used and an allegation was made that the intercepts were actually carried out by the CIA.
Importation of cocaine valued at £300 million from Spain into the UK and involving a joint investigation by Spanish police and SOCA
Importation of cocaine valued at £300 million from Spain into the UK and involving a joint investigation by Spanish police and SOCA
Importation of cannabis valued at £5.5 million into the UK from Spain via Holland, using scrap metal
Importation of cannabis valued at £21 million into the UK from Spain via Belgium. The drugs were concealed in a number of ways, including in consignments of oranges.
Wholesale supply of Class A drugs in South Wales, the largest drugs conspiracy in South Wales at the time
Importation of drugs from Turkey into the UK, in which drugs were taken from London to Birmingham for distribution. 200kg of heroin was seized, one of the largest drugs hauls in Birmingham.
A coach travelling back from a pop concert in Germany was used to transport 60kg of heroin.
[Birmingham CC]:
K was charged with importation of cocaine valued at £1 billion from Costa Rica into Germany and then to Belgium and Holland. The case involved the Serious and Organised Crime Agency making enquiries in Europe, South America and USA.
[Leeds CC]:
The case involved a drugs empire being run from inside prison using the prison phone system. We successfully argued that recordings made from intercepted calls were inadmissible evidence, leading to the prosecution case collapsing.
[Birmingham CC]:
M was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The case involved police surveillance of a large organised crime group involved in supplying heroin. When a search warrant was executed, it became clear that an industrial-sized operation for packaging heroin was taking place. The premises the group used were so contaminated with heroin that officers searching them over a four-day period had to use breathing apparatus.